A Ninja's Guardian
by Sixsamchaos
Summary: What would happen if a dimensional traveler came to the elemental nations. Would a chance encounter between him and our favorite ninja might lead to an unexpected growth? Will a Guardian help train the blonde ninja to be one of the great through the shadows? And what of the three people he met when he first arrived? (Naruhina and other pairings as story progresses)
1. Chapter 1

**HELLO FANFIC READERS! This is Sixsamchaos coming at you with my first Naruto fanfic. I hope you all will enjoy my story and post up any reviews or comments you may have. Constructive criticism is desired, but outright flames and trolling will be ignored! Hope you like this new spin on the Naruto universe.**

**Now for the disclaimer!**

**Sixsamchaos does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I also don't own anything from other animes, books, movies, games, etc. However, I own the plot of my story, and my OCs.**

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Darkness.

This was the sole word that could truly describe the emptiness of the void. Nothing existed within the dark abyss except for a lone figure. Although light no longer existed within this realm, one could have guessed that the figure was male even though his features were hidden underneath a hooded cloak. Standing rigid and strong despite the lack of ground, the man merely stared into the darkness before sagging slightly, an aura of sadness suddenly enveloping his form.

"So, my visions have come true. My ultimate nightmare has been made reality."

Sighing, the man stared into what had once been his home one last time before turning around and waved his right arm to the side. Suddenly, a swirling mass of golden light appeared before him, forming the entrance of what appeared to be a tunnel. Refusing the urge to look back once more, the man took one step into the portal before entering completely. As the golden tunnel began to close, the light that had once illuminated the empty realm vanished, returning the darkness to its rightful place.

*The Land of Sound*

Within a darkened dead end alley of a shanty town, a tunnel of golden energy suddenly materialized from thin air, as the cloaked man emerged and for the first time in decades stepped onto solid ground. As the tunnel closed and the energies dissipated, the man inspected the alley before nodding in approval at the lack of an audience. It would have been difficult to remain hidden if a crowd of confused and most likely scared people were to see him emerge from a divine-looking tunnel.

"Hey!"

"Stop that thief!"

Startled from the sudden yelling, the man looked up to see a ten-year-old boy carrying a paper bag run into the alley followed by two angry men. Skidding to a halt at the sight of the cloaked figure, the tired and dirty child looked up with fear in his eyes before facing the two men. Switching his attention to the two men who stood at the end of the alley, the man saw that they were well-built and were cracking their knuckles, smirking at the cornered child. Although surprised and a little uneasy about the cloaked stranger, the two men were happy nonetheless to see the dirty kid trapped and began to approach them.

"Thanks for helping us corner this little brat, but we'll take it from here," said one of the two men.

Glancing at the frightened boy, the man looked into his dark eyes and saw fear, pain, and loneliness. It only took a second for the man to step in front of the child, causing the two men to stop their approach and frown.

"This doesn't concern you stranger. So unless you were the one who made him steal our bread, you will let us teach that brat a lesson," ordered the same man.

"I had no involvement with the theft, but I will not allow you to beat on this child."

"Then we'll just have to beat you first," growled the man's partner before both adults charged the cloaked stranger.

The cloaked man sighed before he quickly dodged the first man's right hook and responded with a swift kick to the back of the head, sending his opponent head first into a group of trashcans. He then sidestepped to dodge the second man's lunge before giving him a quick chop to the back of the head. Sighing once again at the two unconscious men, the cloaked figure turned to the huddled boy before stepping closer. However, seeing the boy flinch made him reconsider and instead decided to sit down in front of the child.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah."

"Why did you steal from those men?"

"I...I was hungry."

"Do you have a family? A home?"

The boy shook his head.

The cloaked figure looked down for a moment.

"Do you want to come with me then?"

The boy's eyes widened in surprise before staring into the bread he had stolen, as if considering his offer. A moment passed before the boy nodded his head, but his eyes held confusion within them.

"We are both alone, and I know that neither one of us want to be alone anymore."

"What's your name mister?"

"Xander. Yours?"

"Zaku Abumi."

Although Zaku couldn't see it, he had a feeling that his cloaked savior was smiling underneath that hood.

"Well then. Shall we get going, my friend."

Zaku smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

*Five Months Later*

It was early morning when Xander and Zaku entered a small town somewhere within the Land of Sound. Due to Xander being from another realm and Zaku being an orphan, the duo had traveled from Zaku's hometown to other villages and small towns with no set destination in mind. During those five months since their surprise meeting, Xander had taught the boy how to fight and defend himself with some basic martial art forms as well as how to hunt and cook animals that they had caught throughout their travels. In addition, the duo were able to gain a little income by doing odd jobs for various farmers and villagers who wanted some cheap labor. Although it was a little difficult with Xander's insistence to keep his cloak on at all times, the duo were able to scrounge up enough money to at least purchase some supplies or a decent meal once in a while. Currently, the two were resting at a local tea house and decided to have some tea and dango.

"Okay. I think I finally know why you keep wearing that cloak and never want to let me see your face."

"Oh? So you believe you have figured out the reason," asked an amused Xander. It was the norm for the duo, as it wasn't long from their first meeting that Zaku had questioned the older man about his state of dress. Instead of answering, Xander made a deal with the child that he would allow him one chance a day to guess as to why he was wearing a cloak all the time. So far, Zaku had yet to correctly guess the reason and was unable to see his friend's face. However, through their time together, Zaku was able to sense Xander's emotions and feelings despite the lack of facial features.

"Yeah. I bet your face was burned badly during an accident and you lost your eyebrows."

Xander laughed before ruffling his companion's hair much to Zaku's annoyance. "Sorry, kid. Your wrong again."

"Oh come on! One of my reasons had to at least be close!"

"Close is not correct, my friend," replied an amused Xander.

"Just wait. I'll figure out the reason tomorrow!"

"Whatever you say," chuckled Xander.

*CRASH*

"Hey! I thought I told you to stay away from this place," yelled a voice from behind the restaurant.

Xander and Zaku shared a glance before getting up and heading towards the noise. Walking around the small shop, both males were surprised to see the shopkeeper brandish his broom at a bandaged up ten-year-old boy. The boy had old bandages covering the majority of his head save for his left eye and was wearing raggedy clothes not unlike Xander's cloak and Zaku's clothes. The shopkeeper noticed the duo's presence and turned to them with a apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry about disturbing you two. I was just trying to stop this little street urchin from digging through my trash again."

Xander sighed. "No, sir. You weren't. Please go wrap up our leftovers. We'll take them to go and take care of the boy."

Recognizing the slight annoyance and edge from Xander's tone, the shopkeeper nodded and quickly went back into the shop. Sighing once again, Xander asked Zaku to take out the spar bandages, as he walked over to inspect the slightly hunched boy. However, the bandaged child stepped back with a narrow eye, obviously suspicious of the two newcomers. Xander ignored the glare and merely kneeled in front of the boy.

"Relax. We are not here to hurt you. We just want to help."

"Yeah, you are. So did the people at the hospital and the debt collectors before them," replied the boy sarcastically.

"Hey, man. We're just trying to help," growled Zaku, as Xander sighed again.

"My name is Xander and my friend's name is Zaku. We just want to help you. Nothing more. Nothing less."

"Why would you want to help me?"

"Because we know what it's like to be alone," replied Zaku in a somber voice.

The bandaged boy stared at the ground before grunting and reluctantly allowed Xander to inspect his bandages. As Xander began replacing the old bandages with new ones, Zaku quickly went back to retrieve their leftovers before returning. Handing a dango stick to the boy, Zaku gasped at the sight of the boy's severely burned skin.

"It's not polite to stare, pal. Name's Dosu Kinuta by the way," grunted Dosu, as he gratefully ate the treat with gusto.

"Sorry," muttered Zaku, as he awkwardly looked away.

"There. I'm done," said Xander as he stood up.

Sighing at the small relief to his hunger, Dosu looked up to the man. "So what happens now?"

"Do you want to travel with us? You don't have to be alone and dig through the trash anymore," spoke Zaku, having already caught on to Xander's intentions.

Dosu chuckled a bit before standing up, his hunched back making him slightly shorter than Zaku. "It beats staying in this dump to die."

And so a new friend was made.

*Two Months Later*

Two months have passed since Xander and Zaku had met Dosu and things were going smoothly for the trio. Xander and Zaku informed Dosu of their method of traveling and were delighted to see the bandaged boy having no problem with it. Not long after their meeting, the duo learned that Dosu had come from a small family of farmers. Unfortunately, a fire had broken out one night and had cost Dosu not only his parents' lives but also the majority of his face. He was now unable to see through one eye and was plagued by periods of pain from his burns. To make things even worse, Dosu lost his family's property and remaining possessions to a group of debt collectors that have been a pain at his family's side for years. Although Xander and Zaku were sorry for their new friend, they new better than to show pity to the bandaged boy, as Dosu was not subtle when it came to his views on sympathy. On the other hand, Xander was delighted to hear that Dosu had some knowledge on farming and knew about the various berries, herbs, and mushrooms that were edible, having been taught by both his parents. This made things easier for the hooded man as he had been teaching Zaku survival skills that Dosu not only knew about but also ones that involved defending himself from animals and bandits.

It wasn't long until Xander began to train the two in martial arts, especially when facing opponents who would most likely be bigger and stronger than them. It was through this time that Xander learned that Dosu was able to use his smaller stature to make himself more agile and went for hard and fast striking tactics. However, Zaku seemed to be more about charging headfirst than analyzing his opponents, hoping to catch his opponents off guard and unbalanced. It didn't take long for Xander to see that Dosu was the brains, while Zaku was the muscle. In addition, it was during these little training sessions that Dosu seemed to be more intrigued about his new companions. To him, Zaku seemed like an annoying neighbor with his temper and his boisterous attitude, but Dosu knew that when it came down to it his fellow orphan would have his back no matter the odds. However, Xander seemed to be the biggest mystery, as Dosu didn't even know what the man looked like. The bandaged boy was surprised to hear that not even Zaku knew Xander's appearance, but sweat dropped when his friend began listing the many guesses he had used thus far. However, Dosu's attention was also on the cloak, as it seemed to shroud Xander in darkness no matter how the man moved, as he couldn't even see Xander's hands let alone the rest of his body when the trio worked their training sessions. An even greater mystery was the fact that even though Xander was entirely covered Dosu seemed to sense what the older man was feeling.

"We're here."

Shaken from his thoughts, Dosu looked up to see that they had reached a town that was nearing the outskirts of the Land of Sound. Turning to Zaku, Dosu saw him merely shrug his shoulders before following their unofficial leader into town. As it was mid-afternoon, the trio saw that the town was busy with its daily business, and people were scurrying to and fro with their daily routines. Unfortunately, the sight of two ragged young teens and a fully cloaked man brought some attention to the group but it seemed that no one wanted to approach them. Ignoring the looks, Xander led Zaku and Dosu over to a small restaurant for some food. While normally fine with their hunts, the cloaked man knew that his two companions would like something a little more than burnt meat and herbs from time to time. Although raising a brow at the group's attire, the waitress didn't make a comment and simply took their orders. Just as she left to get their meals prepared, the trio looked up to see a young girl approach them, holding a basket of flowers.

"Excuse me. Would you like to buy some flowers. They're cheap."

Dosu and Zaku shared a glance before inspecting the newcomer. The girl seemed to be around their age and appeared to be just as ragged as they were, wearing a battered light blue kimono that was torn in several places, smudged with dirt, and reached down to the girl's knees. Her hair was extremely long and was tattered with dirt and some leaves. However, it wasn't her appearance that had captured the two rather it was her eyes. Her eyes were black and mysterious but they were empty of joy or happiness. Instead, they held only pain and loneliness. A loneliness that Dosu and Zaku were all too familiar with, and somehow they knew she could see it in them as well.

Xander examined the offered flowers, not lost on the sudden change of emotions. "Withered roses. Beauty that has experienced pain and despair."

The girl tensed, as Dosu and Zaku turned their attention to cloaked man. "We cannot give you money, but we can give you something you want more." The young girl looked confused, but both boys shared a glance, knowing where their friend was going with this.

"And that is?"

"Companionship." Zaku and Dosu sighed. Throughout their time with Xander, the two boys had come to learn that their cloaked friend would always help people in need. It didn't surprise them that Xander had offered his friendship to the stranger, as he had done the same with them.

The girl turned to the two boys, hoping to find an answer to her confusion. Zaku grinned, while Dosu merely offered a nod, although the crinkle in his eye showed that he had a slight smile as well.

"Why?"

"The three of us are just like you. We suffered and we were plagued by neglect and loneliness." At this, Xander turned to his two friends and they somehow knew that he was smiling at them. "You could end your loneliness. You could come with us and be with friends."

The girl looked down, unsure about the sincerity of Xander's words. "What he says is true."

The young girl looked up to see Dosu offering her a hand. "I was just some street rat that ended up crossing paths with him. I was a total stranger and yet he still helped me. Gave me something worth living for again."

Zaku nodded. "He saved me from getting beaten by two shopkeepers. He made me feel like an actual person instead of an homeless orphan."

She stared at Dosu's offered hand, deep in thought. After what seemed like an eternity she slowly took Dosu's hand, and for the first time in a long time she smiled. Unknown to either of them, Dosu felt his heart skip a few beats and his hand felt electrified. Nonetheless, both he and Zaku returned the smile with their own. At this point Xander stood up to go get the food that the group had ordered.

"So, what's your name," asked Dosu.

"Kin. Kin Tsuchi."

"Nice to meet ya, Kin," grinned Zaku, as he and Dosu introduced themselves to their new friend.

It was at this time that Xander had returned with their food, and it seemed he had bought some extra for Kin. "I've got our food. We can talk on our way out of town. We have a lot of walking to do."

This got the rest of the group's attention. "Oh. So we finally have a definite destination," asked Dosu.

"We are going to Konohagakure no Sato. The shopkeeper recommended it as a good place to live in."

"That's a ninja village. Are we going to become ninjas?" Zaku and Dosu shared a glance before turning back to Xander, intrigued by Kin's words.

Xander chuckled. "Only if you want to. You can inform me of your decision during our journey."

As the group got up and followed their cloaked friend out of town, Zaku turned to his bandaged friend. "Dosu. I have a feeling our lives are gonna get a lot more interesting."

"I think they got interesting the moment we met him," chuckled Dosu, indicating Xander.

Kin sighed. "I just hope we get there safely."

"Don't worry. I can handle anything thrown at us, and I hope you three are ready. I plan on training you very hard throughout our journey."

The three ten-year-olds shivered as they heard Xander laugh a little evilly. Suddenly, the trio were more afraid of what Xander had planned for them than any wild animal or bandit did. However, the fear disappeared when Zaku decided to open his mouth. "Alright. I think I know why you keep wearing that cloak!"

Dosu sighed, while Kin looked at Zaku and Xander with confusion. This was going to be a long trip.

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**Please send me any questions or suggestions you guys or girls might have.**

**I will also appreciate it if any of you authors will allow me to use your OCs. Just send me a PM and we'll chat things out.**

**Again, Please Review!**

**P.S. : Sorry if any of the characters are too OOC. However, I believe characters without backgrounds are free reign when it comes to telling their histories.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have returned! Sorry for the lack of update, but college life has been hard. I am happy with people letting me know that they like my story, but please don't be afraid to share your thoughts through reviews. Suggestions and opinions are helpful and great things to have. I just wish to excite your minds and imaginations with my story.**

**Please let me know if a character seems too OOC or even acting as a Mary/Marty Sue.**

**Just to speak now, Xander is not a Marty Sue, as he cane still be defeated. Just think of him as a wandering spirit/warrior. His story will be explained.**

**Now for the disclaimer:**

******Sixsamchaos does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I also don't own anything from other animes, books, movies, games, etc. However, I own the plot of my story, and my OCs.**

* * *

*Three Days From Konohagakure no Sato*

"Okay! I'm sure I have the answer now!"

Dosu groaned, as he awoke to the loud voice of his friend and traveling companion. Sitting up from his spot underneath a large tree, the one-eyed boy glared at Zaku before falling back against the soft grass.

"Damn it, Zaku. It's too early for your little game!"

Kin giggled at her two new friends, but also wished that Zaku hadn't yelled out at what seemed to be six-in-the-morning, as she sat up from her spot next to the bandaged boy. Hearing some bushes shift, the young girl looked up to see Xander wander into the small clearing the group had used to camp out in, carrying some freshly caught fish. Chuckling from Zaku's energy, the hooded man nodded to let the boy go ahead with his guess only to shake his head when the attempt was again wrong. Greeting his other two charges, Xander began setting up the fire to cook their morning meal, while Dosu and Zaku walked away to gather some more wood and water. Meanwhile, Kin searched through their packs, as she approached Xander to help prepare the fish.

"I still don't know whether or not you're just teasing Zaku about keeping your identity a secret. To be honest, I don't think there's anything wrong with you."

Xander laughed softly. "Would you like to join us in our little game?"

Kin giggled before shaking her head. "No. I'd rather not deal with brainstorming guesses with Zaku all day."

"I know he can be somewhat excitable, but he does make things more interesting."

"Excitement, I can handle. Crazy guesses. Nah."

"Damn it, Zaku! Be careful with those sticks! I only have one good eye!"

"Sorry!"

Xander sighed, as he and Kin set the fish over the slightly burning fire. "Remember. You three still have training with me after breakfast."

Kin shivered, as she tried not to remember the bruising their savior had given the trio yesterday. It wasn't long after the group had met Kin that Xander began training the young pre-teens into respectable fighters, as the trio had informed their cloaked friend that they wanted to become ninja. Impressed with their spirit, Xander agreed to step up their training, helping them increase their stamina and endurance. Another part of their daily training was also throwing rocks to help work on their accuracy and using them as incentives to improve their dodging abilities. Unfortunately, Xander informed the group that he couldn't teach them any ninjutsu or genjutsu, as he was not a ninja, and that he had a different source of energy as opposed to chakra. Therefore, he was not able to teach them the basics of gathering and molding their chakra. When questioned about his strange condition, Xander merely replied that he would explain after they had settled down in the village. However, this didn't keep the man from teaching the trio meditation and stealth tactics, as patience and a clear mind were key things to have when on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the trio, Xander was brutal when it came down to their group spars, but the three potential ninja knew from experience that the world was not kind, and neither would their opponents be.

Ridding her head of those memories, Kin looked up to see Zaku and Dosu return with more firewood and drinking water, as she and Xander had finished cooking their morning meal. As the two boys sat down, Kin immediately passed them their fish before grabbing one for herself. Meanwhile, Xander sat back against a fallen tree, appreciating the peaceful air before looking at his students. Smiling to himself, the cloaked man knew that the three of them had potential and he certainly hoped they would make it far in the ninja world. Dosu was calculating and intelligent, and Zaku had the stubbornness and never-give-up attitude to back up his recklessness, while Kin had the potential to back them both up with her quickness and accuracy. Sighing, the cloaked man knew that he would have to rid himself of his cloak if he were to gain the trust of the villagers and their ninja protectors. After all, who could trust a man without knowing his appearance?

_'I just hope my past doesn't catch up to me.'_

Sighing once more, Xander got up and grabbed the attention of his students. "Now then. With breakfast complete, I believe we should start our training now," said Xander as he cracked his knuckles.

The trio gulped before quickly running out of the clearing and away from their somewhat sadistic teacher. Laughing, the cloaked man quickly stalked after his prey. "Running just makes it more fun you know!"

"It gives us a fighting chance though," yelled back Zaku.

Dosu sighed. The sooner they arrived at Konoha, the sooner they can get a break from their sadistic trainer.

*Time-Skip: Three Days*

It was an ordinary day for the peaceful village of Konohagakure no Sato. Eight years have passed since the attack of the great biju known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Eight years have passed since the great Yondaime and many of his fellow shinobi fell upon the battlefield. While many still mourned for their lost friends and family, the people of Konohagakure no Sato moved on with their lives and sought to rebuild what they had lost. Soon enough, peace had returned to the great ninja village and many of the villagers met the rising sun with joy and happiness. Well...almost everyone.

*The Village's Main Gates*

"Man. I can't believe we're stuck with guard duty again," yawned Kotetsu, as he slouched against the desk within the check-in station.

Izumo sighed at his best friend's behavior. "You and I both know that protecting the village is more important than going on some life-risking mission. Besides, we get to enjoy our home's peace and quiet while still getting paid."

Kotetsu merely waved the man off. "True. However, we still do that when we're guarding Hokage-sama in his tower. I just wish something happens to liven up the day more."

"Maybe we'll see one of Naruto's pranks a bit later. That little squirt always has something cooking in that head of his."

Kotetsu smirked. "So long as I don't get sent to catch the gaki, I'm all up for his pranks."

"I just don't understand how it's always Iruka who's able to catch him. I mean, that little kid can even outrun jonin and Anbu."

Kotetsu shrugged before he frowned. "Well, he does run from those mobs all the time, especially when it's near his birthday. I just hope the villagers will learn from their mistakes."

Izumo frowned as well. The young chunin knew that he and his friend couldn't protect the little kid all the time due to their jobs, but it still didn't change the fact that they really couldn't do anything for the child. Any and all attempts to adopt the boy and give him a semblance of a normal life were immediately crushed, while almost all of the village's population refused to honor the last wishes of their fallen leader. Izumo sighed, as he continued to think about the child, while Kotetsu frowned, as he knew what his friend was thinking about. The two chunin were part of the small group of people who saw Naruto as a person, and obviously knew about the fundamentals of sealing to know that the Kyuubi wouldn't be able to harm the boy. This fact was especially true, since the Yondaime was a master at the art and that Jiraiya of the Sannin had personally looked over the seal after the ritual had been performed.

"Don't think too much on the matter," said Kotetsu, as he clasped his best friend's shoulder.

"Doesn't mean I still don't feel guilty about leaving the kid to the villagers," sighed Izumo.

Right as his fellow shinobi was about to comment, the duo heard several sets of footsteps approaching the main gate. Leaning out of the check-in station, the two ninja were a little surprised to see three raggedly-dressed pre-teens and an adult shrouded in a cloak enter the village. Despite having dealt with refugees and homeless people throughout their careers, the duo still found the newcomers to be a strange sight. However, they quickly felt suspicious about Xander, as the group approached the station. It wouldn't be the first time that an enemy ninja snuck into a hidden village through the use of civilians.

"Can I help you folks," greeted Izumo.

Xander chuckled, while his three charges gazed at their surroundings with wonder. "Don't worry, ninja-san. We don't mean any harm to you or your village. In fact, we want to join your village instead."

The two chunin shared a glance before Kotetsu spoke up. "Well, you folks are going to have to meet up with the Hokage. He's the man in charge of letting newcomers join the village especially if they want to become ninja for the village."

Xander nodded in understanding, as Dosu, Zaku, and Kin listened to the conversation, their curiosity sated for the time being. Fortunately for the group, Izumo and Kotetsu agreed to lead them to the Hokage Tower, as it was just the end of their shift. It wasn't long that the group began walking through the village towards their destination. Like all the villages and towns that Xander and his charges had visited, the group had once again gathered the attention of some of the villagers, hearing whispers of possible reasons why the group was in their home. However, Xander noticed a particular rumor that brought his attention.

"Were they attacked? Look at their clothes and all that dirt."

"They were probably attacked by the demon brat before coming here. That little monster has always been nothing but trouble."

Xander frowned, as the group continued to pass the gossiping villagers. _'Demon brat? I wonder…'_

"So ninja-san. What can you tell us about your leader? From just looking at the size of this village, he or she must be very strong," said Kin.

Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah. Hokage-sama is incredibly strong even with being an old man. He's best known as the 'God of Shinobi' throughout the ninja world. Name's Kotetsu by the way, and this is my best bud, Izumo."

"Nice to meet you folks," smiled Izumo.

"It's pleasant to meet you as well. I'm Kin. The boy with the bandages is Dosu, and next to him is Zaku. The man in the cloak is Xander," replied Kin, as she introduced the group.

"What's up," greeted Zaku.

"Hey," spoke Dosu.

"A pleasure," added Xander.

"So, any particular reason for wanting to join our village," asked Izumo.

Dosu looked up. "We're pretty much looking for a place to settle down. We heard about Konoha and wanted to become ninjas."

Kotetsu frowned. "Don't you all have a home back where you come from?"

Zaku scowled. "We're all orphans, and each of our old homes considered us street urchins. It wasn't until Xander found us that we met each other."

The two chunin flinched a bit, Kotetsu mentally cursing himself for bringing up such a sensitive subject. Xander and the others sighed at Zaku's bluntness but didn't seem to disagree with the boy. However, Kin had a small smile on her face.

"Actually, I'm kind of happy that the three of us were street urchins. None of us would have met each other and become such great friends," spoke Kin, as she smiled brightly at the two boys.

Zaku grinned, while Dosu grumbled before looking away, trying to hide the small blush that colored his bandages. Meanwhile, Xander chuckled at the children that he had come to know and love. Izumo and Kotetsu also smiled at the trio before looking at Xander with newfound respect. However, it still didn't take away the suspicion that the two ninja held against the cloaked man. Helping homeless orphans or not, there was still a possibility that Xander could be a threat to the village. With the tension lightened, the chunin continued to lead the group towards the Hokage Tower, and it wasn't long until the group had arrived. The group of six were soon in front of the Hokage's door; however, it was a bit of a hassle, as Izumo and Kotetsu had to convince the secretary and the nearby ninja that Xander had no evil intentions. Still, the cloaked man new that there were eyes on him, as Xander smirked at the number of Anbu that he had sensed hiding in the shadows. However, the man returned his attention to the task at hand, as Izumo and Kotetsu led him into the Hokage's office, having to leave Kin, Dosu, and Zaku out in the waiting area.

"Hokage-sama. There are folks here that wanted to see if they couldn't join the village," stated Izumo after he and Kotetsu bowed to the aged warrior.

Hiruzen merely smiled, as he continued to smoke his pipe, before thanking the two chunin and gesturing them to return to their station. Bowing once more, Izumo and Kotetsu nodded to Xander before walking out and closing the door.

"I see that you and your companions wish to join the village, but for what purpose and reason," asked the kind man, as he gestured for Xander to take a seat.

"Thank you for seeing us, Hokage-san. I know that, as the leader of this village, you are a very busy man so I will be straightforward with this. We merely wish to settle down in this village as our new home. In fact, Kin, Dosu, and Zaku all expressed that they wanted to become ninjas as well."

Acting as if he hadn't heard the lack of respect, Hiruzen continued to merely smile and smoke before addressing the cloaked man. "I assume that you also wish to join our shinobi corps as well. You certainly have the aura of a trained warrior."

Despite feeling the radiating killer intent sent at him by the hidden Anbu, Xander showed no signs of movement before chuckling slightly. "So when did you sense that I wasn't your average run-of-the-mill weirdo?"

"Oh, I've been around for quite some time. I can sense the aura of a warrior when I see one, but you seem particularly different from all the others I have met."

"I guess I can't hide my identity from the man that was known as the God of Shinobi now can I," chuckled Xander. "I guess I should start out by introducing myself. I am Xander Melee, and I am what you would call a Guardian of Gaia."

Hiruzen frowned, as he set his pipe down. Immediately, the old man shifted from a gentle grandfather to a stern military leader. "So you know of the old legends? Forgive me if I find it a little difficult to take in."

"Legends? So, some of our history has survived here as well. Nevertheless, I am in fact a Guardian. If you require proof, then I would be more than happy to let the Kyuubi confirm my status. Of course, we would need young Naruto for that."

"How did you know that Naruto-kun holds the Kyuubi within him," questioned Hiruzen coldly, as he shot up from his desk. The Anbu tensed and readied themselves to apprehend Xander if need be; however, Xander made no reaction to either motion.

"I know about young Naruto because I have observed your world before. The last Guardian to come here was a woman known as Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Rikudou Sennin's mother."

"Impossible. Only a few still remember the oldest tales of shinobi history," stated a shocked Hiruzen.

Xander chuckled. "Believe me. I was just as shocked when I found out that she decided to follow my lead."

"What do you mean by 'follow your lead'," questioned Hiruzen.

"After the Chaos Wars, the Guardians packed up everything they could and returned to Gaia. From then on, we decided to act as watchers and help keep the balance between good and evil through the shadows. A Guardian would have been breaking many rules just for allowing someone to see them or for traveling to another dimension without permission. Even the Prime Guardians, the leaders, had to let each other know of their intentions before traveling to another world. I changed all that after the Second Chaos Wars, traveling the various worlds and helping those that needed assistance. I worked in the light and openly involved myself with the conflicts. I later found out that Kaguya decided to do the same."

"But Princess Ōtsutsuki lived over a thousand years ago."

Xander nodded. "The reason that I am still alive is due to some circumstances during the Second Chaos Wars as well as time passing differently in every dimension. However, even before then, we Guardians all share the gift of longevity. This is similar to the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan, but about a hundred times more potent. Even if time passed by uniformly, I would have still lived for a few thousand years before succumbing to death by battle."

Shocked from the Guardian's unexpected words, the Sandaime shakily dropped back into his large chair, trying to find some way to compose himself. Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen sighed before groaning and rubbing his temples. "I just know that your arrival will cause more problems and paperwork than is necessary."

Xander chuckled. "I know the feeling. Back when I was the leader of a group of rebels I had to do paperwork that buried me for nearly a month. That is until I found out the secret to defeating it-urk!"

"YOU KNOW THE SECRET?! TELL ME, DAMN YOU," shouted a frantic Sandaime, as he shook the cloaked man with a speed and strength that had not been seen since his younger years. Sweat dropping at the sudden madness of their leader, the hidden Anbu merely shook their heads before concentrating even more intently on the conversation. After all, Anbu had to do their own paperwork as well.

"Okay! Okay," shouted a surprised Xander, as he pried the Sandaime's surprisingly strong fingers off his person. Shaking his head, the Guardian chuckled as Hiruzen returned to his desk. "It has been quite a while since I met someone who was faster than me."

Hiruzen coughed before smiling, embarrassed. "You have to forgive me. I have been trying to figure out how my late successor, Minato, had been dealing with my dreaded nemesis even after I had retired for the first time."

Xander chuckled once again as he nodded in agreement. "I observed your world before so I know what has happened up till now. However, why don't I make this part of the conversation private? After all, we don't want your Anbu to become lazy in their paperwork now do we?"

Although the old leader knew to be shocked with the fact that Xander had sensed his well-hidden Anbu, Hiruzen pushed the shock away in favor of listening to the secret that would finally end his war with the troublesome documents. Still, the Hokage couldn't help but laugh at the slightly mischievous tone of the Guardian. Seeing his smile, the Anbu began to sweat not only because they were discovered so casually but also that they weren't going to hear the secret to defeating paperwork. This was even more disheartening, since Xander was still covered in a cloak, so none of the Anbu could read the man's lips. "Yes. I wouldn't want my shinobi to grow lazy. I have Kakashi for that already."

Nodding, Xander waved his right arm between himself and the Hokage, as a blue aura surrounded the two men, forming some sort of transparent bubble. "I believe the secret lies within the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu that you higher ninja use."

It didn't take long for the Guardian's words to hit home, as not a minute after Hiruzen dropped his pipe before dropping his head repeatedly on his desk. "I am such an idiot. How could I have not seen it before?"

Xander nodded. "With the Kage Bunshin's ability to transfer whatever memories it gains back to its creator, the technique is perfect for gathering information or for completing the more mundane tasks in life, such as paperwork."

Hiruzen sighed before gesturing to the Guardian to drop the silencing field, the Guardian complying as the Hokage picked up his pipe. "I know I should be more suspicious of your intentions, especially with the farfetched story of being a Guardian of Legend, but somehow I know you aren't lying. Using the paperwork secret was a nice way of getting me to at least hear you out," smiled the Sandaime.

Xander chuckled before it trailed off into a saddened sigh, the cloaked man's shoulders sagging slightly. "I came to this world because I have no home to go back to. In the final battle for the Second Chaos Wars, I transported myself and my mortal enemy, Zennousha, to my home dimension right before he created an energy backlash that would have destroyed Gaia. Fortunately, I was able to protect myself, but was still rendered unconscious. The end result was the total annihilation of my dimension. Not even the stars survived, and everything was decimated into a never-ending void."

Hiruzen frowned at the Guardian's story, and was deeply saddened by the man's loss. Even though the cloaked man could be a threat to the village, the Sandaime knew that no one deserved to lose their home so completely in such a way. Conveying his condolences, the old man gave his grandfatherly smile towards Xander, as the cloaked Guardian rebounded from his sadness. Even the hidden Anbu were shocked by the new information that they had just heard, and looked at the shadowed man in a new light.

"Were there any survivors from your world?"

Xander shook his head. "No. Even before the Second Chaos Wars, I lost my home to an invasion of monstrous white creatures. All that remained of my home was a few debris after the planet was destroyed."

"What about Gaia?"

"Gaia could never be my home. Even though I saved it from destruction, there are still those that hate me for being a useless human, while my allies most likely believe me to be dead."

"What about the Guardians watching over our world? I remember reading that the Guardians of Legend were related to Kami and the other gods."

Xander scoffed. "Like the gods of every other world, Kami and his kin were born from the Celestials, the progenitors of the many universes that exist, including Gaia. With their power and arrogance, they saw us Guardians and our soldiers as weaklings and servants. Despite the fact that the most powerful Guardians could match them in power and ability, they still saw us as servants."

Frowning at the blatant disrespect towards the spirits of his realm, Hiruzen sighed before dropping the matter. Obviously, the relationship between the Guardians and the Gods was already strained. No need to fuel the fires.

"Now that you mention it, I wouldn't be surprised if Kami and his group have already sensed my presence. They will most likely contact me or pass me off as an insignificant nuisance."

"If I may ask, why is it that you seem to dislike Kami and the other gods?"

Xander growled darkly. "It is because they betrayed us Guardians. During the first Chaos Wars, Kami and the other gods fought alongside us, as we defended Gaia from the servants of the Dark Celestials. During that time, each group gained the begrudging respect of the other. However, when the Second Chaos Wars began, and the Celestials disappeared, they abandoned us to Zennousha and his ilk, believing the situation to be our problem, since Zennousha was a Guardian turned traitor. We Guardians were hunted down and systematically killed, while my life was made a living hell."

As Xander continued to rant about his dislike for Kami and the other great spirits, Hiruzen frowned further. Being a strong believer of the Will of Fire, the Sandaime valued friendship and heart above all else. To hear about his world's gods seemingly abandoning the Guardians to a genocidal war had shaken his faith. "I am sorry. However, not many of us know about the thoughts of the great spirits. There are even less who have actually spoken or even met them."

Xander sighed. "Don't be. You had no idea as to what was going on let alone the fact that we Guardians exist. However, I will be wanting answers if I do meet them."

"Before. You mentioned that some of the Guardians matched Kami. What do you mean?"

"That would be the Omega Guardians and the Prime Guardians. You see, there are four classes that label a Guardian's skill and power. Those who just became new Guardians are called Delta Guardians. They don't really have much experience and are taught by the older Guardians in groups similar to how you teach your genin in teams of three. The next class is Beta. Beta Guardians are pretty much rookies that have enough experience to take on their own missions. Then there is the Alpha class. Alpha Guardians have much more experience and have the ability to reach their full potential. Many of these Guardians become teachers and mentors to the Deltas and Betas. The final class is Omega. Omega Guardians are the most powerful Guardians to exist. They have the most experience and have power to match Kami and the other gods. Many look to them for times of leadership during crisis situations."

"And the Prime Guardians?"

"The Prime Guardians are Omega Guardians who wield the ancient relics of the Celestials. When the Celestials formed the Guardians of Gaia, they blessed us with thirteen powerful relics that represented the elements of fire, water, earth, air, light, shadow, metal, thunder, space, time, life, spirit, and death. According to legend, there was a fourteenth Guardian that had the power over dimensions. With these relics, the Prime Guardians acted as leaders of Gaia and helped run things. The way a Prime Guardian is chosen is through the relic itself. This way, no one will be able to simply steal the power of the Celestials, as the relic will simply find a new partner. The Prime Guardians are the oldest, strongest, and wisest of all Guardians."

"Am I assuming that these relics are a part of the strained relations with the gods?"

"You would assume right. In fact, it was the relics that started the strained relationship in the first place. As children of the Celestials, the Gods believed that we mortals were not worthy to wield such power and wisdom. This caused many of the Guardians to see them as arrogant spirits, especially since we outnumbered them ten to one."

"What about your rank?"

Xander chuckled. "Would you believe that I ended up becoming the Prime Guardian of Dimensions and that I am five thousand years old?"

Hiruzen smiled. "I wouldn't put it past you to actually be five thousand years old, but wouldn't the other Guardians sense your power should you use it?"

"Even if they did find me, it's my job as the Dimensional Guardian to travel the multiverse and help anyone that needs it."

"So you came here to look for a new home or to bring peace to the world?"

Xander shook his head. "No. There is another who holds that destiny. I would be more than happy to help him if you would let me. Besides, I didn't pay attention to my destination when I left my dimension. I just chose the nearest dimension and yours was it."

"You are speaking of Naruto-kun aren't you?"

Xander nodded. "That boy has the potential for greatness. He just needs someone to help guide him towards it." Hiruzen smiled in agreement.

"And the three children under your care?"

"Like I said. I help those in need. I have also been to another version of this world, so I know what has become of those three. I wanted to change that."

"So you know of future events here?"

"That is the tricky part. With my interference, history constantly shifts. From time to time, I experience brief flashes of future events similar to how a person relives their memories."

"So you know what might happen but you are not sure if it will actually happen the way it should?"

"A giant pain in the ass isn't it?"

"And the children?"

"Victims of Orochimaru," answered the Guardian coldly. This caused Hiruzen to flinch, still nursing the emotional wounds of having his long-time student abandon the village and his humanity for power and immortality.

"In that world, he used Kin and Zaku as sacrifices to bring back the dead Hokage in an attempt to kill you and destroy the village. You managed to prevent the summoning of the Yondaime, but had to fight against the Shodaime and the Nidaime. You eventually defeated all three of them, but at the cost of your life. A large number of your village's shinobi and civilians were also killed in the invasion."

The moment Xander had revealed this new information, the entire Hokage Tower was suffocated under the killing intent of not only Hiruzen but also the hidden Anbu. In fact, the oppressive feeling kept spiking until it could be felt throughout the village, causing many of the villagers to become uncomfortable, while the shinobi looked towards the Tower with fear and uncertainty. However, the potent energy seemed to have no effect on Xander or if it had, then he showed no signs of it.

"When," growled the Hokage. Former cherished student or not, no one disrespects the dead and invades his home without dire consequences!

"When Konoha hosts the Chunin Exams four years from now, assuming the timing is the same as it was in the other dimension."

"Thank you for telling me the secret to handling paperwork. The next few years will give me time to prepare for the invasion and for my wayward student's return."

"Don't you feel saddened by how far your student has fallen?"

"I do, but what you have told me is just more proof to what I already believe. Orochimaru is too far gone. I will notify Jiraiya of this information and we will discuss plans in four years' time."

"In the meantime, I'll be able to interact with your future genin and help prepare them for the coming battles. Kin, Dosu, and Zaku would also be genin by that time, so want to make sure that they survive to see their adulthood."

"I'll still have to test you in combat in front of the village and have you meet with Ibiki-san for interrogation. After that, we'll search for a home for you and the children. Unfortunately, your three charges will also have to meet with him as well. Although I now believe what you have told me here today, I still have a duty to protect the village from outside forces."

Xander nodded in understanding but gave the Hokage another warning. "With outsiders, you expect them to betray you at some point. It's the domestic groups that are the real problems. I know for a fact that Danzo and your old teammates are working with the civilians to make Naruto's life a living hell. I have seen it before and I will most likely expect it now."

Hiruzen narrowed his eyes, but he knew that he couldn't deny such an argument. Of course, the old Hokage had his suspicions, but Xander's words have just confirmed them. "I'll see to it that the village council will remember why the Kages are the military dictators of the hidden villages. I'll also make sure to look over the archives and the past paperwork with the shadow clones to see how much damage they have made."

Xander nodded, as he stood. "You do know that with me being a Prime Guardian and my old age will allow me to defeat any opposition that you will have me face, right?"

Hiruzen chuckled, as he followed Xander to the door. "Well, the elite of my shinobi will just have to train harder then. Besides, we'll gain a powerful ally in the process, and three new potentially great shinobi."

Just as the Hokage and the Guardian were to leave the office, Hiruzen turned back and addressed his Anbu with the sternest of gazes. "Everything that has been said here is to be regarded an SS-Ranked secret punishable by death. Understood?"

Immediately, all the hidden Anbu revealed themselves and stood at attention before kneeling. "Hai, Hokage-sama!"

Hiruzen nodded as he left the office with Xander, leaving the Anbu to consult with each other.

"So what do you think about the new guy," asked Horse.

"If what he says is true, then he'll be a challenge to face," replied Neko.

"However, he seemed adamant about staying here. Either way, we receive an ally," added Bear.

"Still, I wonder what he looks like underneath that cloak," spoke Tora.

"Great. We'll end up with another Kakashi," groaned Fox.

"He must be pretty handsome then," joked Neko.

"Careful there Yugao or else Hayate might get jealous," chuckled Horse.

"Shut up," muttered a blushing Yugao, not that anyone could see it underneath her mask.

*With Hiruzen and Xander*

The moment Hiruzen had stepped out of his office, he came to the sight of Xander being bombarded with questions and concerns from three young children, although the bandaged boy seemed to be less talkative than the other two. Stepping forward and clearing his throat to alert them to his presence, the old Hokage greeted the young soon-to-be ninja. The trio immediately stopped their attack on Xander and turned towards the village leader, allowing the cloaked man to take a step back and sigh in relief. Immediately, the trio bowed to the Hokage in greeting before they began introducing themselves. Hiruzen smiled, as the three began to remind him of some of his shinobi through their greetings. Kin was as polite as the daughter of the village's top weapon smith's daughter. Zaku was brash like the members of the Inuzuka Clan, while Dosu's serious yet slightly grumpy demeanor reminded the Hokage a little bit of Kakashi during his younger years.

"Thank you for letting us join the village, Hokage-sama," smiled Kin.

"Yeah. I can't wait to be a ninja," grinned Zaku.

"Humph. I need to be there to keep you two from getting hurt," grumbled Dosu as he crossed his arms.

Hiruzen chuckled, as he gestured to Xander. Taking the hint, Xander quickly informed the trio that he'll be fighting and that the four of them would have to experience interrogation in order to ensure their place within the village. This caused the group to become nervous, as all three of them looked at Xander with some concern. All three of them looked to the cloaked man as either an older brother or father figure, and none of them wanted to see the man get hurt. There was also the fact that their imaginations weren't helping their thoughts of the upcoming interrogations either. Noticing the expressions, Hiruzen stepped and reassured the group that they had nothing to fear and that things would go smoothly. He also informed them that he would be searching for their new home, but that they had to live with in an apartment complex with someone named Naruto for the moment.

*Three Hours Later*

Xander yawned, as he, Hiruzen, Kin, Dosu, and Zaku left the Torture and Interrogation headquarters and began their trek towards the apartment complex that would be their home for the time being. Chuckling slightly from the jumpy reactions of his three young charges, the cloaked man began to take in the familiar sights of the village he had seen once before, or at least another version of it. However, this caused the Sandaime and the others to sweat drop at the man.

"I don't know how you can be so calm after such a frightening interrogation," spoke Kin, as Zaku and Dosu nodded in agreement.

Xander chuckled. "Oh, I've been through plenty of interrogations, so this is nothing new to me. Now that Ibiki is a genius at the art, but he cannot just mind fuck me when it comes to gathering information."

"Seriously," groaned Zaku.

"I went insane for a period of time if it helps," shrugged Xander before raising his hand to stop any questions, speaking that all would be explained once they have settled into the village.

Soon enough, the group now stood in front of a dilapidated but mostly intact building that had become worn due to both time and what seemed to be negligence. Hiruzen and Xander both frowned at the state of the building, while the three children were shocked not only by the building's state but also with the fact that it was in the red light district. Lowering his head just a little bit, Xander gestured to the Hokage that someone was indeed inside the building and the two older men quickly ushered the future genin into the building. Unfortunately, the appearance was just as bad if not worse than the outside. The furniture and walls were caked in dust, cobwebs, and seemed to be falling apart. Some of the furniture were even destroyed beyond repair. The conditions continued to worsen, as the group moved up to the top floor of the apartment. It wasn't until the small group had reached Naruto's door that things started to get out of control.

**DIE DEMON!**

**MONSTER!**

**GO TO HELL!**

**DEMON! DEMON! DEMON! DEMON!**

Just as Dosu, Kin, and Zaku were about to question the less than comforting messages and slurs, the trio were forced to their knees, as killer intent exploded from both Hiruzen and Xander without warning. The oppressive force was so intense that each and every one of them couldn't breathe, while also begging for death. The trio weren't the only ones, as the killer intent immediately spread throughout the entire village and caused many of the villagers, both shinobi and civilian alike, to scream out in fear. Realizing the situation he had put his charges in, Xander forced himself to calm down as the Sandaime did the same, allowing the three future ninjas a chance to breathe and to regain their bearings.

"What the hell was that," shouted Zaku, as he and the others turned to Xander and Hiruzen in fear.

"Such killer intent…"

"Why, Xander," asked Kin.

Xander sighed. "I am very sorry that you all had to experience that. It's just that these slanderous terms are disgraceful of a late hero's wish. You have nothing to fear of me or the Hokage."

*Rattle* *Rattle* *Click*

"H-Hello," asked a small blonde-haired boy.

"Hello, Naruto-kun. Would it be alright if we could enter your home? There are some nice people who want to meet you," smiled Hiruzen.

The newly indicated Naruto hesitated for a moment before nodding and opened the door wider, smiling his usual brilliant smile for the group to see. The three future genin smiled back, but each of them were frowning mentally. They had seen that look before and it was not pleasant. As the group entered the apartment, Xander gripped Hiruzen on the shoulder.

"About the paperwork and dealing with the council…"

Hiruzen growled. "They will be reminded that the title of Hokage is not a figurehead. I'll make sure of that."

"Have my fight in public. I want to show those fools what a true demon will look like. I will show them the power of a Prime Guardian, and Kami and his folk will know to respect the strength of the Guardians."

Hiruzen frowned even further, wanting to have kept Xander's status as a Guardian only to the shinobi council, but agreed nonetheless. "Give me two days to inform the council, and I'll set up the matches on the third."

Xander nodded before sighing once more, as he and the Sandaime entered the apartment.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this installment. Hope to hear from you guys and girls soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Well. It's finally here. 2013 had officially ended! This means a new year. New experiences. New stories. New fanfiction!**

**To begin this new year, I have decided to post up a new chapter for my readers. I hope you enjoy it.**

**Again, please let me know if a character seems too OOC or even acting as a Mary/Marty Sue.**

**Now for the disclaimer:**

******Sixsamchaos does not own Naruto in any way, shape or form. It belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I also don't own anything from other animes, books, movies, games, etc. However, I own the plot of my story, and my OCs.**

******Oh. And one more thing.**

******HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!**

* * *

*Naruto's Apartment*

As soon as the cloaked man had entered the apartment, both Xander and Hiruzen smiled at the sight before them. The mischievous child was squirming in Kin's arms, trying desperately to escape. However, this only caused the older girl to coo more over the blonde as she squeezed him into her chest more tightly. Zaku chuckled at the smaller child's predicament, while Dosu seemed a little jealous of the boy. Deciding to rescue the boy from this adorable attack, Hiruzen coughed to grab the group's attention before gently prying Naruto out of Kin's grasp. Immediately after he was freed, Naruto quickly hid behind his surrogate grandfather's robes, as he stared uncertainly at the three haggardly dressed pre-teens and one cloaked adult. Xander merely chuckled at his three charges, while Kin smiled sheepishly in embarrassment. Smiling, Hiruzen gently pushed the boy to stand in front of the group before softly asking him to introduce himself to the others.

"H-Hi. My name's Naruto Uzumaki," greeted the boy shyly, still uncertain about the group and even a little wary of Kin.

Zaku grinned. "Hey. The name's Zaku Abumi."

"Dosu Kinuta," grunted the bandaged boy.

"It's nice to meet you, Naruto-kun. I'm Kin Tsuchi," giggled the long-haired girl.

Xander kneeled down. "I am Xander Melee."

The Sandaime kneeled down and gently explained that Xander and his friends were going to live with him in the apartment, and that they wanted to be his friends. Naruto's eyes widened before he smiled brightly at the old man. This caused the others to smile, as they saw it was more genuine than the first one they had seen.

"Really, jiji?"

Hiruzen nodded. "These nice people are planning to join the village and will be living with you for the next few days. Later on, we'll be seeing if we can't find a nice house for everyone to live in."

"Cool! Can I show them around the village jiji? I can take them to Teuchi-jiji and Ayame-neechan for ramen!"

Hiruzen chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "I don't see why not, but that will have to be after they join the village okay. Now behave and be a nice host for them alright, Naruto. I must speak with Xander for a moment."

Naruto nodded before he urged the others to follow him on a tour of his small apartment. Giggling, Kin grabbed Dosu and Zaku before dragging them after the cute little blonde. Sighing, Xander stood up as he took a glance around the living and kitchen areas. Fortunately, it seemed that none of the villagers tried to break into the apartment today, but from the state of the floorboards and walls it was painfully obvious that break-ins were frequent occurrences. Turning to Hiruzen, Xander frowned as he saw the Hokage's shoulders sag, the old man appearing more tired than his age suggested.

"This is all my fault."

Xander shook his head. "There is only so much you can do. You didn't know your attempts to protect the boy would backfire. All you can do now is help him reach his full potential."

"I know. However, I fear that the villagers will never see Naruto-kun as anything more than the Kyuubi reincarnated."

"Then help him make them understand. The boy craves attention. He craves the love that was taken away from him when Minato and Kushina died. You must tell him the truth not only about Kyuubi but also about his family."

Unfortunately, the man's words only served to shock the Hokage, as the old veteran glared at the ancient warrior. "You know I can't do that. The boy isn't ready to take on those responsibilities."

"The boy was ready the moment his life was ruined forever. What do you think will happen should Naruto learn the truth from someone else? He would never trust you or anyone else ever again. No matter how much it was for his safety, you lied to him about the Kyuubi and denied him knowledge of his parents," hissed Xander.

Upon hearing the possible consequences to his actions, Hiruzen felt his heart stop for a moment as tears threatened to fall from his weary eyes. The pain of his surrogate grandson hating him was almost too much to handle, but somewhere in the back of the Hokage's mind Hiruzen always knew of such an outcome. Steeling himself, the old shinobi glared at Xander before sighing sadly. In truth, Hiruzen knew that he would have to tell Naruto everything eventually, but was scared of how the boy would react. How could anyone tell their surrogate grandson that they had a giant monster sealed inside of them and that it was their father who had done it?

Xander sighed. "The boy will be hurt, I won't lie. However, it would be best if he hears it from you rather than from someone else."

"I know," sighed Hiruzen as he reluctantly agreed with Xander.

Xander nodded. "This is merely one trial that the boy must face. It was a nice try to give him his mother's surname but you do realize that it will just make him a bigger target."

Hiruzen grimaced. "So you know about the history of the Uzumaki clan. I knew it was a risk because of the clan's former reputation but I believed that no one would make the connection due to there being so few Uzumaki left in the world."

"Your plan would work with the younger generations, but the older generation and those who studied shinobi history would definitely make the connection. The Tsuchikage, Raikage, and shinobi from Kiri would most likely see Naruto as a threat whether or not his status is known to them. The Uzumaki were feared for their sealing and kenjutsu, hence the reason for the clan's destruction."

"It's a good thing Minato-kun and Kushina-chan sealed everything they had in a storage scroll that only Naruto can open, including his inheritance. I'll see if I can't find some kenjutsu scrolls for him in the meantime. Jiraiya should be able to teach the boy fuinjutsu."

"About Jiraiya… He's another thing I would like to point out. He is still Naruto's godfather and Tsunade is still the godmother. While Jiraiya's position as spymaster gives him a little leeway, they need to be here to take care of Naruto."

Hiruzen sighed. "I find that easier said than done. Jiraiya-kun is still haunted from losing Minato-kun and Kushina-chan, while Tsunade-chan is still traumatized from losing her lover and her brother."

"All the more reason for them to be here. Again, Jiraiya is understandable, but Naruto needs a mother in his life. Tsunade can be the mother he's been wishing for, while it'll also give her a reason to love again. There is also the fact that her presence will help assist us in dealing with the council and Danzo."

"I'll inform Jiraiya about the situation, but I hope you'll be able to find Tsunade-chan without my help. I've tried finding her before but she always returns my messengers with broken bones," groaned Hiruzen.

Xander nodded. "I'll deal with Tsunade. However, that'll have to be after the fight. For now, we'll need to discuss some other things, such as the council and Naruto's future."

Hiruzen nodded before heading towards the door, informing the cloaked man that he would set up an appointment tomorrow morning to discuss things. At the same time, Naruto and the others returned from their small tour before staring questioningly at the two adults. Ignoring Kin's cooing at the blonde's adorableness, Hiruzen motioned the four children to follow him and Xander to the landlord's office in the main lobby. Fortunately, the four genin-to-be were spared from the KI that the two adults previously emitted, although a protective growl did come from Hiruzen. Soon, the group of six were standing in front of the office, as Hiruzen politely knocked on the door, but frowned when no one answered. Sighing, Xander merely grabbed the doorknob and shoved the door with enough force to break it open, destroying the knob in the process. Ignoring the shocked look that Naruto held, the cloaked man stepped inside with the others following only to see the room void of any occupant. In fact, a fine layer of dust was coating all the furniture. The only thing out-of-place was a pile of envelopes that were strewn about near the doorway. Frowning, Hiruzen and Xander walked over to the living quarters that was connected to the back of the office but stopped when they saw Naruto walk over to the small pile.

"Hey! These are the rent money that I give to the owner every month! How come they're all here?"

Xander flinched, while Hiruzen sighed sadly. "It seems that the landlord has moved out, but on the bright side Naruto-kun you have a lot more money now it seems." Although the Hokage tried to be cheerful, the blonde's small frown and fake smile didn't make matters any better for the aged leader. Hiruzen knew that Naruto was more observant than he let on and knew that the boy was again questioning why he was being subjected to such prejudice. Glancing towards the other three children, Xander noticed the questioning looks they were giving him and resolved to tell them everything tonight, even about their new friend.

"Since the landlord seems to have left, I see no reason not to redecorate Naruto-kun's apartment. Hokage-san?"

Hiruzen smirked, immediately catching on to what Xander was proposing. "Of course. With there being no other occupants, I believe no one would mind if Naruto-kun gets some new furniture from the other apartments. However, this again reminds me to find a suitable home for you five after the fight."

"Five? You mean I get to live with them jiji," asked an excited Naruto. Although the future Hokage was still a little wary of the new arrivals, he still craved the attention any child wanted and was willing to get to know them. Since they weren't from the village, they couldn't be as bad as the villagers could they?

"Yes, Naruto-kun. At first I planned to just have them live in the same building but I now believe that having them live with you is the best, but it'll have to be after Xander-san has his match in front of the village. That way, I'll be able to determine what rank he'll be in our shinobi corp."

This immediately caught the attention of all the future genin, but none of them showed as much excitement as Naruto.

"You mean he's going to be a ninja! That's so cool," cheered Naruto.

Kin giggled at the blonde's cheerful attitude, while Dosu and Zaku were also intrigued by this revelation. The three of them knew that Xander had to fight in order to join the village, but none of them had thought that the cloaked man would actually become a ninja. During their travels together, the group had known Xander to usually try and avoid conflict when not training them in self-defense. When they had finally confronted the man about it, he merely told them that he grew tired of constantly fighting people, but his reply just seemed to bring up a whole new bunch of questions for the trio. However, it was what their friend said that truly grabbed the trio's attention.

"Not only am I going to be a ninja, kid but I might even become a teacher to future genin. In fact, I might even become a teacher to Kin, Dosu, and Zaku here."

"Seriously," cried Zaku.

"We're really going to become shinobi," exclaimed Kin.

"Great. More torture sessions with you," grumbled Dosu even though he was happy that the group wasn't going to break up in the days to come.

Hiruzen smiled at the children's enthusiasm, but shook his head. "Although I believe you would make an excellent teacher Xander-san, I still have to give the final decision on who would be best to teach the future genin."

Xander chuckled, not at all bothered by the Hokage's words. "Oh. I know of a perfect teacher to these three, but the problem will be whether or not she accepts." Immediately, Kin, Dosu, and Zaku all shivered in fear, having heard that chuckle every time the man gave them a surprise training session. As Xander laughed sadistically once more, the three future genin knew that whoever their future teacher would be they were most likely just as merciless as he was. The Hokage merely sweat dropped, having a pretty good idea of who Xander was talking about, while also trying to coax Naruto out from under his robes who was trying to hide from the scary dark man.

"That's enough, Xander-san. Now I do believe that we have some rearrangements to make regarding Naruto's home."

"Why don't we just move into one of the bigger apartments? It'll be easier than trying to decide how everything would be put into place," suggested Dosu.

"That's actually not a bad idea," thought Zaku as Kin nodded her head in agreement. Xander and Hiruzen shared a glance before also nodding in agreement, while Naruto cheered about having a bigger place to sleep in. It was soon decided that Naruto would go with Kin and Hiruzen to gather his belongings while Xander and the boys would spruce up the penthouse. Groaning about doing the heavy lifting, Dosu and Zaku nonetheless complied especially when Xander threatened to give them an exercise in close quarters combat. Giggling, Kin gave Naruto a piggyback ride back to his apartment with a smiling Hokage in tow.

*Several Hours Later*

"Finally! We're done," groaned Zaku as he collapsed on the large four-person couch. Dosu nodded in agreement as he stretched his aching muscles, while Kin happily listened to the stories that Naruto was telling her about the village's greatest ninjas. Hiruzen smiled at the interaction from his place in the kitchen, while Xander nodded in approval after doing a final inspection on the penthouse. The penthouse itself wasn't very fancy as the apartment was still part of the red-light district, but it had enough space for the group to live comfortably for now. It consisted of two bedrooms, a small kitchen that was connected to the living room, two bathrooms, and a large balcony. Naruto was especially happy for the bigger space and wasn't bothered that he had to share his room with Kin. Unfortunately, the second bedroom was only big enough to accommodate two people and after an hour of arguing it was decided that Xander would sleep out in the living room, while Dosu and Zaku took the second bedroom. Hiruzen sent another sympathetic look over to the cloaked man as he too knew how uncomfortable sleeping on a couch could be, since his late wife used to kick him out of their room whenever he pissed her off.

"Now that everything has been moved and everyone has settled in, let's go get some dinner," suggested Hiruzen.

"Agreed," nodded Xander.

"Can we go get ramen, jiji?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "Sure. Besides, we need to introduce our new friends to Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan."

"Yay," cheered Naruto as he ran into his shared room to change. Xander and the others merely joined the Hokage at the table since they didn't have very many possessions to begin with. This reminded the cloaked man to go get the trio some new clothing and to see whether or not he could regain some of his possessions that were left behind in the other dimensions. However, the ancient warrior pushed his to-do list to the back of his mind when Naruto had returned, this time wearing a yellow t-shirt with the Konoha symbol on it and a pair of blue shorts. After dealing with another one of Kin's hugs, the little blonde led the way to his favorite little restaurant, this time not remotely bothered by the glares he was receiving. However, the Hokage and the others took notice and all frowned, Hiruzen and Xander in anger while Kin, Dosu, and Zaku in confusion.

* * *

*At Ichiraku's*

Hearing the familiar greeting from his number one customer, Teuchi happily turned around to greet the jovial little child but was slightly surprised by the company. The old ramen chef was long ago used to seeing the village leader accompany Naruto to his little restaurant, but he was surprised to see the inclusion of three raggedly dressed children and an equally ragged man. However, this didn't deter the man from giving his usual greeting to his favorite customer and the village leader.

"Well, Well! It's been a while Naruto! Hokage-sama. Always a pleasure to see you again."

"Hi Teuchi-jiji!"

"Likewise, Teuchi-san."

"Is that my favorite little friend, Tou-san," asked a young girl as she walked out from the back of the shop.

"Hey, Ayame-neechan!"

Ayame giggled at the little blonde's enthusiasm and bowed in respect to the Hokage before she noticed the four new arrivals. After returning the gesture, Hiruzen then introduced the two ramen chefs to Xander and his companions before going on to explain their situation. Although the two were a little suspicious of the cloaked man, they nonetheless welcomed the newcomers to Konoha and began their usual preparations for Naruto and the Hokage, as the group sat down at the front counter.

"Oh man. The food here smells great," drooled Zaku.

"Careful there, Zaku. We still need to find a way to make some money," warned Dosu as he thanked the Hokage who handed him a cup of tea.

Kin nodded. "Dosu's right, Zaku. I know you're excited about living here and becoming a shinobi but we're still poor. We'll probably have to take on some jobs in addition to our ninja studies."

Xander chuckled before waving his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, you three. I'll deal with the money situation and Hokage-san and I are still negotiating on some things. Just focus on the here and now, which is dinner," suggested the cloaked man as he picked up his cup of tea. Immediately, the three future genin stopped talking and stared intensely at their caretaker's head, hoping for a glimpse of the man's face. Naruto and the others stared in confusion at the trio's behavior before turning their attention to Xander. The cloaked man didn't seem bothered by the staring and just continued on with his tea, but to everyone's surprise the cup just seemed to partially vanish into the darkness before being set down. The three pre-teens groaned at not being able to see their friend's face again, while Naruto and the others looked on with confusion. However, the Hokage instantly knew what was going on, having seen this type of behavior when it came to Kakashi's mask.

'_I really hope I don't have to deal with another Kakashi Hatake.'_

"How does he do it," groaned Zaku, as Dosu and Kin muttered their own complaints. Xander merely chuckled at the three before deciding he should explain what just happened.

"I believe an explanation is warranted. You see. Ever since the formation of our ragtag group, my little friends have always been curious as to what I look like. So there have been moments where they attempt to reveal my appearance."

"Really," asked Naruto.

Dosu groaned. "Yeah. No matter what we do or what situation we are in, that cloak just hides his appearance even when he's training us."

"I even saw him swimming with it on once," said Zaku.

"Even when it was really hot, he didn't take it off. So far, Zaku's been the only one to try and guess what Xander looks like. They even have this game where Zaku would make one guess every day and if he guesses it right then Xander has to take off the cloak," added Kin.

"I'm assuming all those guesses up till now were wrong," said an amused Teuchi.

"Unfortunately, our game will have to end after the exhibition match," said Xander as he gave Ayame his order for one miso ramen.

"Seriously? You decide to get rid of that thing now," grumbled Zaku as he dug into his pork ramen.

"Well, I have to get the village and its people to trust me somehow," said Xander as he ate some noodles. This time, the others didn't even bother to stare as they were completely into the delicious food.

Hiruzen chuckled. "That's if you're cloak survives the fight, Xander-san."

"Oh? You have someone in mind, Hokage-san?"

"Yes. You'll have three matches. However, I'll have to speak with the council on this. You should spend the next two days to prepare."

"Oh. I believe I can handle whoever you plan to face me," laughed Xander sadistically, freaking out Naruto and the others a little except the Hokage.

"Are you sure you can handle it, Xander-san? Many of the shinobi here are very powerful," said Ayame as she handed Naruto another bowl.

Xander nodded. "I fought a lot of people in the past. I am confident in my abilities."

"Well I hope your confidence will help, Xander-san. Guys like Kakashi Hatake and Gai Maito are nothing to laugh about," warned Teuchi.

"Oh, I hope Hatake-san will be safe if he's fighting," sighed Ayame.

"Bit of a crush huh," teased Zaku, causing Ayame to blush fiercely. However, the boy was smacked into his bowl by Dosu. This caused Kin to chastise the both of them before preventing Zaku from trying to attack a laughing Naruto. Xander noticed that Dosu would glance at Kin for a minute before returning to his meal, while also noticing Teuchi chopping the vegetables with a little more force than necessary. Shaking his head, he felt himself smiling not that the others could see it.

_'Life here will certainly be interesting.'_

* * *

*Later That Night*

"Man. It was nice of the Hokage to pay for our meals," said Zaku from his place on the couch.

"Yeah. I just wish Naruto-kun wasn't such a messy eater," spoke Kin from her place at the kitchen table, enjoying a cup of tea with Xander.

"At least we'll be able to earn some cash once we start doing missions," grunted Dosu as he walked into the living room, having gone to the bathroom after just helping Kin settle Naruto down for bed. Not long after their dinner, to which the three future genin were surprised the Hokage paid for, Naruto eagerly gave them a tour of the village alongside the Hokage. Unfortunately, this resulted in the group seeing almost every single person they came across avoid them like they were the plague. However, they were even more disturbed that the hatred and the glares that they were so familiar with were pointed directly at Naruto. In fact, there were several moments where Xander and the Hokage had to prevent Zaku from fighting with the villagers. By the time the tour was over and the group had returned to the penthouse, the trio were looking expectantly at Xander and the Hokage, knowing that the adults knew what was going on. The Hokage merely nodded at Xander before saying his goodbyes. Fortunately, it seemed that Naruto was too excited to have noticed the glares and whispers during the tour and tired himself out from all the ramen and running.

"Alright, Xander. We've been waiting long enough. What's going on with this place," questioned Dosu as he took a seat next to Kin. Hearing his friend's demands, Zaku joined the group and sat opposite of Kin, while Xander was sitting at the head of the table. Looking at the questioning faces of his charges, Xander sighed before nodding. He waved his right arm and recreated the sound proof bubble much to their shock. Before they could question Xander about it, the man tensed his shoulders alerting them that he was being serious about the following conversation.

"What I am about to tell you here is to never leave this room. Do you understand?" Kin, Dosu, and Zaku all shared a glance before nodding.

"What do you know of the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha?"

"Wasn't that eight years ago," asked Kin. Xander nodded.

"The attack took place on October tenth, the day Naruto was born." Kin gasped in horror, while Zaku and Dosu's eyes widened in shock. However, Xander raised his hand and said that he'll answer any questions after he finished. "On that same day, Naruto lost both of his parents to the Kyuubi. In order to defeat the creature and save the village, Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage, had to seal it into a newborn baby. From then on Naruto became the village's jinchuriki and acts as the Kyuubi's prison."

"I thought the Yondaime killed the Kyuubi," voiced Dosu.

Xander shook his head. "The Kyuubi, like the rest of the bijuu, cannot be killed through any conventional means as they are giant constructs of chakra. They can only be killed when the jinchuriki die, which forces them to regenerate somewhere else. However, the reconstruction takes a very long time to go through."

"But why was Naruto chosen," asked Kin as tears clouded her vision. Xander sighed as he looked down.

"There was no time and no one else. The Kyuubi had too much chakra and would have killed anyone else it would have been sealed in. Naruto's chakra network was still developing, perfect for the seal's purpose which was to slowly integrate the Kyuubi's chakra with Naruto's."

"Then why is he getting all those glares and insults! He should be a hero," yelled Zaku as the table shook under his fist.

Xander sighed again. "Minato hoped that the villagers would see Naruto as a hero and be celebrated as one. However, the villagers ignored his wishes, despite the man being a genius at the art of fuinjutsu, and ostracized the boy. They ignore his existence and insult him whenever possible. They even harm him on many occasions. In an attempt to give the boy a normal life, Hokage-san decreed that none of the older generation could speak of Naruto's status to the younger generations. However, they got around this by having their children stay away from him with excuses and lies."

"Is that why he wears that mask," asked Kin. When she saw Xander nod, the girl couldn't take it anymore and began crying for the young child. Dosu quickly came to her comfort and wrapped his arms around her, not bothered at all by the girl's tears. In fact, he had a few himself as did Zaku.

"Why," growled the bandaged boy.

"Fear and ignorance. Fuinjutsu is a very difficult aspect of shinobi studies. Many of the villagers don't understand the art and just assume that Naruto is the Kyuubi incarnate. The shinobi hate the boy because he serves as a constant reminder of that terrifying night. There is also the fact that not many shinobi take on fuinjutsu because of its complexity, so some of them take on the same mentality as the villagers. They also go against the boy because they believe that the Kyuubi would try to control the boy and take over his body."

"It's not fair," whispered a depressed Zaku.

Xander shook his head. "No. It's not."

A few moments passed by in silence save for Kin's sobbing. Soon, all the sobbing stopped as Kin finally calmed down. The young girl turned back to Xander but didn't leave Dosu's comforting arms. "What now?"

"Now that you know the truth. What do you believe?" Another moment of silence passed as the three future genin took in everything that had been said.

"He's not a monster," stated Dosu as he tightened his grip around Kin slightly. Kin nodded in agreement as she rested her head on his shoulder, silent but Xander could see the emotions in her eyes. Zaku slammed his fist into the table again.

"Damn straight he isn't!" Xander smiled as he saw the fire of determination and protectiveness in all three of his charges. It seems that you didn't have to be from Konoha to inherit its Will of Fire.

"Then let us end his suffering and loneliness just like we did with each other." Kin, Dosu, and Zaku smiled before nodding in agreement. However, what Dosu did next nearly brought Xander to tears. The scarred boy took his right arm and held out his fist.

"From this day forth, I will do everything I can to protect that boy. To protect my family. I will give him my strength." Almost immediately Zaku made the same motion, his knuckles coming into contact with Dosu's.

"I will give him my determination." Soon, Kin too joined the two.

"My love. For family," smiled the girl as she began to tear up once more.

Xander looked down at the outstretched fists before looking back to his charges. Slowly, the ancient warrior joined his fist with theirs, ignoring the gasps they made when an actual hand, covered by a worn gauntlet, came out from the cover of his cloak. As this happened, Xander could hear a whisper in his mind, in a voice he had not heard in a very long time.

_"The Liberators is more than just an army. It's a family."_

However, Xander wasn't the only one to smile that night. Over at the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen smiled at the touching scene as he observed the group through his crystal ball. The old leader felt himself relax for the first time in years and resolved to help them protect Naruto. He had failed the boy too many times already. It was time to change that.

* * *

*The Next Day. The Konoha Council Room*

Hiruzen sighed as he entered the council chambers and took his seat at the head of the table alongside his former teammates Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. The moment the old veteran walked in the rest of the council quickly quieted down as a few of them respectfully bowed in greeting. However, this did nothing to wash away the confusion that they all held since today's meeting was not part of their usual schedule. In fact, a few of the council members on both sides were a little annoyed from being woken up at the dead of night to learn of a surprise council meeting the next morning. Wanting to get this meeting done as quickly as possible, the Hokage stood up to finally start the meeting.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know that we all have busy days ahead of us but I believe that this subject could not wait until our next official meeting." Hearing this, the civilians and the shinobi began sharing looks and whispers only to quiet down when the Hokage raised his hand.

"And just what is this new development that is so important Hokage-sama," spoke Danzo.

"Would the arrival of an ancient legend to our village and wanting to be a part of our shinobi corps be important enough, Danzo?" Although Hiruzen answered with a neutral expression, the old man found it hard to force down the smirk that threatened to appear, especially when the entire council erupted at the news.

"What do you mean, Hiruzen," questioned Koharu.

Ignoring the lack of respect, the Hokage continued on. "I have recently had a meeting with a Guardian of Gaia."

"WHAT!"

"Impossible," muttered Shikaku.

"I thought those stories were just myths," whispered Hiashi.

"Hokage-sama. With all due respect, do you really expect us to believe such nonsense," yelled out one of the civilian members. The other members of the Civilian Council nodded their heads in agreement and were about to question the Hokage's sanity; however, the man suddenly tensed and froze before rising slightly in the air. This caused the rest of the Civilian Council to stop their ravings and stare at their colleague in shock and fear. Meanwhile, the Shinobi Council tensed and began to go into defensive stances until a voice echoed throughout the room.

"My, my. Is that any way to speak to your leader," chastised Xander as he stepped into the light from a darkened corner of the room. In fact, the room seemed to darken slightly with the man's entrance and an ominous feeling came from his presence, which certainly didn't help either council relax.

"Why don't you speak to the man himself, Sewayaki-san," suggested the Hokage. Although Hiruzen was surprised of the cloaked man's current behavior, the Hokage continued his neutral expression, knowing that it was time to remind the council who was in charge.

"Hmm? Do you have some trouble in believing my existence, Sewayaki-san," asked Xander as he turned to the terrified councilman. This caused the Civilian Council to recoil in fear as they saw two ominous glowing red orbs and a maliciously wide shark-like smile within the darkness of Xander's hood. Raising his left arm, Xander didn't even twitch when the council member suddenly flew towards him, as he caught the struggling man by the neck. This caused the rest of the Civilian Council to scream in fear, but were quickly silenced by the overwhelming force of Xander's killer intent. This caused the Shinobi Council to tense even more as they finally realized why the cloaked man's presence felt so familiar. They had sensed it yesterday alongside the Hokage's killer intent.

"Now. I am going to make myself perfectly clear. I do not care whether or not you believe me to be a Guardian. In fact, I don't care for your opinion at all. I am very angry with the people of this village right now and my patience has worn thin."

Hiruzen coughed, gathering the attention of not only Xander but that of the council as well. "Please calm down, Xander-san. I do believe we have some things to discuss and it will be difficult to complete them if you kill off members of the council."

Xander nodded as he dropped Sewayaki on his backside and turned back to face the Konoha Council, ignoring the smell of soiled loins coming from the terrified merchant. "Quite right, Hokage-sama. I don't wish to dirty your floors with the blood of trash. I would also like to apologize for my unexpected intrusion. Your Anbu weren't very willing to give me the location of the meeting room so I had to persuade them a little," said Xander, laughing a little sadistically, which caused everyone aside from the Hokage to shiver uncomfortably. Even Danzo seemed a bit disturbed by Xander as he seemed to be giving off a feeling of pure madness.

"Um. Yes. Hiruzen-san spoke of you wishing to join the village," asked an unnerved Homura.

"Hmm. You should speak to your leader with more respect, Homura-san. He could have you punished for your lack of respect," warned Xander. However, this served to unnerve Homura since the man spoke with his shark smile still in place.

"H-How did y-you know my name. I never gave it in the first place!"

Xander chuckled. "Oh. I know a great many things about your world. I have been observing it for a few centuries now."

"Then it is true. You really are a Guardian," spoke Inoichi. Xander merely chuckled once more before deciding to give one last warning after seeing that the Hokage wanted to move on with the meeting.

"I would be careful if I were you, Inoichi-san. Most people who tried to invade my mind in the past ended up getting lost in it forever. I hate to see what will happen should you or one of your clan members try it." This caused the rest of the Shinobi Council to stiffen as none of them had made any mention of Inoichi's abilities or that of his clan's. In fact, it sounded as if the cloaked man wanted Inoichi to enter his mind. However, Hiruzen coughed once more so that he had everyone's attention. He had a lot of information to sort through with his clones back in his office and he wanted to end this meeting as soon as possible.

"I hope there aren't any more interruptions that will impede this meeting. I have much paperwork to still do and I am sure everyone here has their own busy schedules," said Hiruzen as he glared at each member of his council, even flexing some of his killer intent to show that he was completely serious and to show that he was the one in charge of the meeting. Fortunately, it seemed they got the message if the nervous looks were anything to go by.

"Now. Xander-san. I do believe that you wish to join the village. Why?"

"Well, my last home was completely annihilated during a war. With me being the sole survivor, I had nothing left tying me to that world. I believed that living here would help me get a fresh start," replied Xander, enjoying how many of the council members flinched at the mention of war. However, the Guardian inwardly frowned when he saw no reaction from Danzo, which increased his anger for the crippled man.

Hiruzen nodded. "My shinobi at the check-in station reported that you were not alone when you entered the village. Is that correct?"

Xander nodded. "Yes. I came with three companions, children in fact. I became friends with them when I first entered this world and we ended up traveling together. Each of them have expressed their desire to become shinobi, so they plan to join your academy soon." As Xander continued, he noticed that many of the council members, particularly the shinobi, had perked up at the prospect of having future inheritors of the Will of Fire.

"They're good kids and I believe they have a lot of potential to become great shinobi."

"Excuse me, but how old are they, Xander-san," asked Shikaku. Xander turned to the man. "They're each ten-years-old."

Choza hummed. "A little old, since we usually have potential shinobi enter the academy when they're eight."

"They'll have to take on some remedial and extra classes in order to keep up with the rest of the current students," spoke up Mikoto. Xander merely waved off the woman, answering that his friends and surrogate family could handle anything they threw at them. However, the Guardian was inwardly surprised by the woman's status. Although his stay in the previous world wasn't very long, the Guardian had observed it long enough to know that the entire Uchiha clan was wiped out save for Sasuke and Itachi. To see their mother still alive made the cloaked man wonder how she will play into the events that were to come.

"I believe their abilities will be seen through the Academy; however, we shall have to test yours, Xander-san. If you were a missing-nin or a shinobi from another village, then you would merely have to go through an interrogation and be placed under observation with limited movement. However, that is not the case. In order to join our village and become a member of our shinobi corps, you will have to fight against a random number of opponents in three rounds. This will also have to be done in front of the village."

"Those seem to be fair terms." Hiruzen nodded, while the rest of the Shinobi Council seemed reluctant at having to fight the man, especially since he gave a presence that was not felt since Orochimaru. However, a glare from the Hokage told them that if they were chosen to fight then they had better do it. Legendary Guardian or not, the clan heads feared the Hokage more than any other ninja in Konoha. Hiruzen was about to move on to another topic until Danzo stood up from his seat.

"If I may, Hokage-sama. I believe that the Guardian and his comrades be placed under my watch. With my training I can-urk!" Danzo was cut off when he suddenly seemed to be suffering the same ability that had trapped Sewayaki earlier. However, this time it seemed as if the very shadows were constricting his movement. Seeing this, Hiruzen and the rest of the council stared at the Nara clan leader, but were surprised that even Shikaku was shocked as well. This caused everyone to turn back to Xander as he slowly made his way to the leader of Root.

"I will make this perfectly clear. I know about your past, your present, and your future. I don't trust you or anyone else aside from the Hokage. If you even think about trying to turn any of my friends into one of your emotionless tools, then you will suffer a demise that even the Shinigami will fear. Do you understand me, Danzo," growled the Guardian as his menacing red eyes shifted into ominous purple orbs, his shark-like smile nowhere to be seen. Everyone shivered from Xander's words and steel cold voice as the shadows seemed to dance around the man, making him appear more like a demon than a human. Receiving nothing but a grunt from the one-eyed old man, Xander nodded before releasing Danzo and returned to his place before the council. As this was done, the shadows seemed to vanish into smoke and the room brightened a little as the tension eased back into an uncomfortable silence.

"Now that I have made my statement clear. I would like to discuss payment and a place to stay." Hiruzen coughed before nodding in agreement.

"Yes. For now, you will have to stay in an apartment complex in the red-light district. We will be searching for a suitable place for you to live in later on."

"Heh. Figures a demon would be put with another demon," muttered one of the civilian members but everyone in the room heard the comment and immediately knew the implications of it. However, before any of the Shinobi Council members could respond, the civilian was blasted completely out of his seat by a shocking amount of killer intent coming from Hiruzen himself. Standing up, the enraged Hokage slowly stepped towards the cowering merchant as the pressure increased with every step, causing Kuromaru to whimper and hide behind Tsume while the rest of the council looked on with shock and fear. Homura and Koharu shared a look before turning back to their teammate in shock. They have not seen their old friend so angered since the Third Shinobi War. By the time Hiruzen was in front of the terrified council member, the merchant had already soiled himself twice.

"You will never speak of Naruto-kun or Xander-san as a demon. Do you understand me, Bakayarou," sneered the Hokage. The three elders all shivered as they had only heard that cold voice from their long-time friend right before he tore an enemy shinobi apart.

"W-Why? That demon brat deserves death! He's the reason for all our suffering! He should have been executed the day he was born because of the Kyuubi!" The idiot council member was about to continue his ranting, but was quickly silenced as another burst of powerful killing intent pulsed from the Hokage. In fact, the terrifying will was so high that the rest of the council backed away from the two except for Xander who stayed, watching the conversation with interest.

"Takashi Bakayarou. You have just broken the law of the Sandaime Hokage. You are to be stripped of your council status and executed as punishment. Anbu," commanded the furious Hokage. Immediately, two Anbu shinobi kneeled in front of their leader. "Take him to Ibiki and get him out of my sight!" The Anbu bowed before grabbing the shouting man and dragged him out of the council room. Satisfied but still furious, Hiruzen turned his glare to the remaining members of the council who flinched under his cold gaze. "Let us be clear. The Kages are the military dictators of the hidden villages and their word is final in all matters. The council exists merely to help assist the Kage, not act as if they are equal in rank. Do you all understand?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama," answered the Shinobi Council and a more subdued Civilian Council. Hiruzen nodded before retaking his seat at the head of the council table, passing an awfully quiet Danzo on the way. Perhaps now, the civilians and the elders will listen to him and not question his decisions any further.

Xander nodded in approval. "I now understand why you were chosen as the leader of your village, Hokage-sama. A leader must know when to lead his people with love and care and when to lead them through strength and power."

Hiruzen sighed, already feeling a headache coming on. "Now let us finish this meeting." Xander and the rest of the council nodded in agreement.

* * *

*A Few Hours Later*

Hiruzen sighed as he collapsed back into his comfy chair. The meeting had taken a lot out of him and he really didn't want to deal with any more stress for the day. Fortunately, the shadow clones had written down a list of things that needed to be fixed, so he could look over them later. Unfortunately, the memories he received haven't been very helpful in dealing with his headaches. Apparently, the civilians and the elders had been using the overabundance of paperwork to secretly weaken the power of the Hokage as well as weakening the curriculum of the Shinobi Academy. If it wasn't enough, they had also tampered with anything that was even remotely related to the Uzumaki Clan. Hiruzen still couldn't believe that the people he was taught to protect actually tried to erase one of the founding clans from existence. Frowning, Hiruzen looked up to see Xander offering him a fresh cup of tea. Taking the steaming cup, the Hokage thanked the man.

As the Hokage enjoyed his break, Xander was thinking back to the events of the council meeting. It was agreed that he would have to fight three exhibition matches in front of the entire village, the location of which would be the large stadium Konoha used for the Chunin Exams. In addition, each of the matches would have a different number of opponents, each with a different rank. Apparently, should he be defeated before the end of the third match, the Hokage and the Shinobi Council would discuss his performance. The event was set to take place three days from today so as to give the competitors time to train. It was also agreed that Xander and his charges would live with Naruto until all five of them could be moved into a more appropriate home. As for money, the council had agreed to giving the group monthly stipends until the three children have become genin. In fact, Xander had already been given a large sum so that his surrogate family could get some new clothes and supplies. As for the kids, all four children would be entering the academy next month since that is when school would begin. Naruto would be placed with children of his age, while Kin, Dosu, and Zaku would be placed in a more advanced class. However, they would also have to take some extra classes in order to catch up to the rest of the class. Xander resolved to train the four of them during the interim and possibly work in the academy so that he could keep an eye on them as well.

"Well, the meeting was certainly interesting," started Xander.

Hiruzen groaned. "I still can't believe the Civilian Council attempted to put you under the CRA." Xander chuckled.

"At least they finally got the hint that I don't have any sort of bloodline after you knocked several of them out with your KI. Although I was surprised to see a janitor come in after the meeting, fully expecting to clean up piss and feces."

"The Shinobi Council and I obviously tend to butt heads with the elders and the Civilian Council in many of our meetings. Even though we all know how important the civilians are, there are just some things that the civilians just don't understand."

"You mean like the art of war."

Hiruzen sighed. "I know that it is usually harder for those who come from civilian families to become shinobi, but what those idiots have done was crossing the line." Xander nodded. The Konoha Academy's purpose was to train future killers and soldiers of the village. Reducing the graduation requirements down to a simple written exam, physical exam, and the usage of three basic jutsu would just be signing the student's death certificate.

"Perhaps I can be of some help."

"Oh?"

"I can work part time at the school. It'll bring in some extra money, but I'll also be able to open the eyes of the students to what they're training for. You'll be too busy dealing with the council and fixing their mistakes to see whether or not your rules are being enforced. Don't forget, you also have to train so that you could protect the village from threats like Orochimaru."

Hiruzen nodded, interested in the proposal. "I'll think about it, but it'll take some time for me to fix their mistakes. Hopefully, we'll have everything fixed by the time Naruto-kun and your friends enter the academy. For now, I suggest teaching them what you can about taijutsu and the village's history since you've observed our world before." Xander nodded before bowing to the Hokage.

"Well. It has been a pleasure, Hokage-san. I'll see you three days from now." Hiruzen nodded as the Guardian walked out of his office. Sighing once more, the Hokage lit his pipe and took a comforting breath before facing the wall that held the portraits of all the Hokages, focusing on one picture in particular.

"Minato-kun. How disappointed you would be in me and the village…"

* * *

*The Next Day*

Kin hummed to herself as she walked through the aisles of the clothes shop. The group was currently in a shinobi shop that the Hokage had suggested to them. The shop was owned by the village's greatest weapons smith and his family. Having learned of Naruto's burden, the three future genin knew why the Hokage suggested this particular store as many of the merchants refused to give service to any of them, especially to Naruto. When Xander came back from the meeting with news about their situation, the girl was especially happy to hear that he had some money for new clothes. In fact, there was enough so that the group could have their current clothes fixed and cleaned up, which made the girl even happier. During their travels, Zaku and Dosu had commented how she tried her best to keep her light blue kimono as clean as possible. It was then that Xander and the boys learned of how the kimono was a gift from her late mother. It might not have been expensive or even beautiful, but it was precious because it was the last thing that reminded Kin of her family. Currently, Kin was looking for something to act as her normal attire and her attire for when she became a ninja. Dosu and Zaku were doing the same, while Xander said that he was already wearing such clothes underneath his cloak, although he did tell the trio that he was partial to black clothing.

"Hey Dosu-kun. What about this?" Dosu looked up to see Kin holding up a crimson red kunoichi dress. The one-eyed boy blushed a bit, picturing his friend in the short dress before shaking his head.

_'Hold it together. You're not a pervert.'_

*Somewhere in Konoha*

"ACHOO," sneezed a certain silver-haired ninja.

*Back in the Shop*

"I don't think it's what you're looking for. Shinobi are supposed to be good at stealth. Why don't you get something to blend in with the forests?" Kin nodded and went off to continue her search. Sighing, Dosu looked up to see Zaku approaching only to face-palm at the mountain of clothes the boy was carrying.

"Zaku. We're here to buy clothes to help us during missions. We don't need to buy out the entire store."

"But how am I supposed to decide on what to wear? Xander's too busy trying to keep Naruto away from the shinobi tools. Apparently, the kid was planning to make some pranks later on."

Dosu sighed before he helped Zaku place the clothes on a nearby counter. As he was doing so, a few articles of clothing stood out to the former farmer. Quickly snatching them from the pile, Dosu suggested to Zaku to try them on before searching through the pile for some clothes himself, thinking back to what Xander mentioned to them about his cloak and how it allowed him to blend perfectly with the shadows. After a few more minutes of searching, Dosu found something that just might work for him. Walking into the dressing room, the scarred boy quickly switched out of his old clothes and into the new ones. As he walked towards the mirror, he was attacked by a little blonde blur.

"Dosu-niichan! Look what Xander-niichan got me! Is that your new ninja outfit? You look so cool!" Dosu only groaned at the little boy who seemed to have an endless supply of energy. Xander chuckled before picking Naruto up from Dosu's chest and helping the boy back to his feet. Inspecting the boy up and down, the cloaked man nodded in approval.

"I have to say Dosu. You flatter me." Dosu blinked his one good eye before turning over to the nearby mirror. The boy now wore a pair of black ninja pants with two large loops that were designed to hold storage scrolls and kunai and shuriken holsters on each side of his legs near the knees. He also had on a black short-sleeved shirt that had the red whirlpool spirals near his shoulders. A black leather combat vest similar to a flak jacket and a pair of black shinobi sandals completed the attire. Giving himself another once over, the bandaged boy did have to agree with Xander as the attire was indeed all black. In fact, it seemed that Dosu stood just a bit straighter now, making him as tall as Zaku.

"Have to agree with the kid, Dosu. You do look cool," complimented Zaku as he joined the group. The boy was now wearing a pair of black shorts with large pockets and a plain black shirt. The shirt was topped off with a sleeveless camouflage vest that was left open as black shinobi sandals completed the attire.

"Well, aren't you two just ready to go into battle," giggled Kin as she too joined the group in her new attire. However, this brought about a different mix of reactions. Xander choked on his own spit before quickly coughing a few times as he looked away. Naruto cheered about how cool she looked. Zaku felt his jaw drop in shock as he gawked at her appearance. Dosu stood frozen as his eye widened, a shiver going up and down his spine as he gazed at Kin.

Kin giggled nervously, taking a step back. "Is something wrong with my outfit?" Said long-haired girl was wearing a pair of formfitting black shinobi pants with dark crimson flames going down the sides along with a tight sleeveless black shirt with the red whirlpool symbol on the back. A pair of black fingerless gloves that went all the way up to her elbows were also thrown into the mix with metal arm protectors attached to them. A pair of black combat boots finished off the attire. All in all, the new outfit served to both conceal her in the shadows and show off her curves, especially her developing chest.

"No! No. It's just that…you look great," stuttered Dosu, cursing himself for stuttering before such a hot girl. _'Wait. Hot? Why do I think Kin looks hot!?'_

"Yeah! You look really cool, Neechan!" Zaku nodded with a wide grin.

"Man. We are so going to be the coolest looking genin team."

"I have to say. I haven't seen someone wear an outfit that good since my travels a long time ago," added Xander. Kin blushed from all the praise as she looked down to the ground in embarrassment.

"You guys really think I look that good?" Everyone nodded.

"Why don't all of you get some extra copies of your new outfits? We'll be leaving soon. I've got the training equipment and plenty of new gear that you'll all need for the academy. Naruto and I will wait for you at the front counter."

"Aw, Xander-niichan! How come they get all the new clothes," pouted Naruto. Xander chuckled as he ruffled the boy's spikey hair. "That's because you're too short, kid. You'll have to start getting taller first and that means eating a proper diet. No more ramen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"What!? But that's not fair!" Kin, Dosu, and Zaku sighed as Xander and Naruto got into another argument over Naruto's diet even though they agreed with their surrogate father/brother. The three would-be genin quickly changed back into their normal attire and grabbed some extra copies of their new outfits before joining Xander and a pouting Naruto at the front counter. Nodding, Xander paid the owner, Juukaki, and thanked the middle-aged man for his help with keeping Naruto calm. The weapons smith merely waved it off, saying how his daughter always gets excited about his weapons. The rest of the group waved goodbye as they left the shop for home. As the group was walking back, Dosu decided to take up some conversation.

"So, Xander. I know that we're joining the academy in a month and that we'll be taking some extra classes, but what do you have plan for us in the meantime?"

"The matches are in two days. Once they're over, I'll be able to focus training the four of you in the ways of the warrior."

"And we'll finally get to see the man underneath that cloak," added Zaku.

Kin giggled as she and Naruto nodded in agreement. "I believe that you guys should also go to the library and study up on some of the village's history. Konoha is our new home and it is important that we learn all we can about it," suggested Xander.

"Aww, but books are so boring," whined Naruto. Zaku nodded in agreement, while Dosu smacked the both of them on the head.

"Dosu-kun's right. We need to learn this stuff, since it'll help us in becoming shinobi."

Zaku cross his arms and pouted. "I still say that street smarts are better than book smarts."

"Only when the situation calls for it, Zaku," spoke Xander.

"Is something wrong, Xander-niichan?" Xander shook his head.

"No, Naruto-kun. Nothing is wrong. I'm just thinking about a few things I need to tell you about."

"Like what?"

"I'll tell you after the matches," replied Xander. Naruto shrugged, while the others discreetly shared a glance. Somehow, they felt unnerved by whatever Xander was going to tell them. Shaking his head, Xander looked down towards his companions. "Anyways. How about we go get something to eat. I'm up for some barbecue. What about you guys?"

"Barbecue sounds nice," spoke Kin.

"Finally. Some real meat," sighed Zaku.

"Just make sure to leave some for the rest of us," grunted Dosu.

"Don't worry, Naruto-kun. We'll get a bowl of ramen on the way for you," smiled Kin as Naruto cheered.

"Kin. I'm trying to get him off of his ramen addiction," scolded Xander.

"One bowl of ramen won't kill him, Xander."

Said cloaked man sighed. "Yeah, but the boy could eat out the shop if he wanted," muttered the Guardian.

* * *

*Later that Night*

Xander sighed as he readied himself for bed. Dinner had been a near disaster as every single restaurant they visited refused to give them service. Some of the owners were nicer and politely asked them to leave, fearing that the rest of their customers would leave because they didn't want to eat near the 'demon brat'. However, the rest of the owners outright refused to even let them in, going so far as brandishing their brooms and kitchen knives at Xander and his companions, but more specifically at Naruto. It wasn't until the group had entered a restaurant that was owned by the Akimichi Clan that they had caught a break. In fact, Xander was somewhat surprised to see Choza and his family having dinner at one of the booths. Upon seeing the cloaked man, the clan leader greeted them warmly and invited them to join his family. Although Choza was wary of Xander, he didn't fault the man for acting against the Civilian Council. At first, Xander and the others seemed reluctant to accept, as they had spent most of the evening comforting Naruto but eventually decided to join the clan head and his family. It turned out to be a great experience for them. Dosu and Zaku ate the delicious meat with gusto, while Kin divided her time chatting with Choza's wife and helping Naruto eat properly. Xander and Choza spoke about the exhibition matches and the possible opponents the Guardian would be facing. As for Naruto, the dinner was possibly one of the best experiences in his short life. He got to eat delicious barbecue and was able to chat with the clan head's son, Choji Akimichi.

Now staring up at the ceiling, Xander smiled softly as he thought back to the interaction between Kin and Naruto. The young girl had really taken a liking to the boy and appeared to have taken on the role of a big sister to him.

"I just hope nothing bad happens to those kids. Too many bad things happen to the good and the innocent," whispered Xander as he let the darkness consume him.

* * *

**And chapter three has been completed. Hope you all like it. Please send me your thoughts through reviews. Also, who do you think will be Xander's opponents in the three upcoming matches?**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR!**


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